African electoral commissions.
The recent sacking of Kenya's Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) CEO Ezra Chiloba for procedural irregularities highlights the way in which weak and compromised electoral commissions drive election-related controversies. Consistently poor performance by electoral management bodies, combined with a history of electoral manipulation, means that opposition parties in many less democratic states regularly allege fraud before polling day. In turn, accusations of partisan bias have eroded public trust in electoral commissions.
International donors' reluctance to fund controversial parts of the electoral process will undermine efforts to bolster commissions.
Media and opposition criticism of commissioners will reduce the pool of qualified and credible candidates willing to take on the job.
Lack of political trust in commissions will encourage opposition parties to try to delegitimise polls in advance, raising instability risks.
